Blackness
by Yusei
Summary: What was once fun and jokes became serious but enjoyable and then hatred and obsession. D. Crow ficlet oneshot.


**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Blackness**

by Yusei

_**Summary – **__"__What was once fun and jokes became serious but enjoyable and then hatred and obsession"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A/N – **__The idea of a Dark Signer Crow seems to be more popular than I thought and whilst watching the dub version of Episode 51, it came to me that Crow could have easily become a Dark Signer had Bommer defeated him with his state of mind before the duel began. So, with none of the other Crow oneshots in progress being finished and an urge to get this done while it was fresh in mind. Like 'My Sworn Duty', the length is much more than usual because of the longer story than usual being condensed, hopefully it doesn't put people off, the same with including a duel in the oneshot, a first for me. The duel also contains cards made for this occasion only, so if they seem off compared to real cards, I apologise for that. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review_

* * *

The nest was empty, the young ones gone, leaving fractured eggs of the lives before. He was alone, without those he had cared for and dragged across Satellite together, shielding them from wind and water beneath his wings and bringing them whatever they needed; food and clothes and cards. Their smiling faces haunted him, their innocent voices filled with hope and innocence. Their small bodies moving towards him, fading, becoming nothing. Even the young canine was gone. He fell to his hands and knees and began to scream; there was no-one left to disturb, no-one to care for, nothing left on the face of the barren world. The twisted cries and screams changed as he threw his head back, towards the clouded sky, deteriorating into maddened howls.

* * *

He stood atop that legendary bridge; something he had spoken of many times to the young ones. There was nothing about it that inspired him, but it stood only as a ladder to climb. To find that distant City, safe from all disaster. No, that wasn't true anymore. He had heard about the incidents that had happened and ripped the ground up – in a way, he couldn't help but sneer and feel they deserved it after turning their backs on him and everyone else. Everyday he had gazed out at the distant place, a small ember of hope flickering in his soul. That light died, now he no longer cared. He would rescue his children if it killed him, otherwise, he would simply join them. He had nothing left to lose.

Lightning crackled overhead, lighting the B.A.D Lands for a number of seconds. He turned to find that accursed symbol in the sky – a replica of the Giant Nazca Line stolen from the soil of Peru. Those bastards – they had snatched Kiryu, almost killed Yusei, and now stolen his kids. Those relying on him.

It hadn't been long after Yusei was operated on that he swore to help take out the Dark Signers, unaware of the grating fact that only Signers were capable of taking out their dark counterparts. It had been almost a game to him – simple experts of the game with dark creatures, but they didn't scare him. He was a big boy, he could do anything. Then reality decided to slap him across the face. Those poor kids… lives and futures stolen while he had been able to climb into an abandoned fridge to protect himself, drained after his near-death experience.

"So you're over there, Dark Signer?" he snarled.

That wasn't Kiryu waiting for Yusei; it was some monster that had taken him over. And he would get him back, even if he had to lose himself to fight back. The black and orange D-Wheel shuddered and shrieked, flying down the bridge and to the ground. He would hunt down that thing wearing his friend's face. He'd hunt them _all_ down, just to find those poor kids.

* * *

He came across that blasted Dark Signer, some man that had been in the Fortune Cup as Yusei's opponent at one point, Bommer. The one who had made some massive commotion over his lost village and family. Surely he would understand how it felt, but why on Earth had he joined the Dark Signers? He had cried out to him, believing the blurred figure was Yusei, something had happened to turn Bommer against him, but he wasn't interested in that. Yusei had other things to get on with, no doubt there were others vying for his blood, besides; Yusei still had his kids – those Rua and Ruka twins. They needed him. Nobody needed the broken one now.

Not even Bommer cared; he was too busy bitching about the fact that the one who dared challenge him wasn't a Signer – details like that didn't matter anymore. He just didn't care, so long as he could fight. He had a grudge with Bommer and the other Dark Signers, especially the Kiryu imposter, but Bommer was fixated on his own with Godwin and how Yusei had gotten in the way, protecting that stuck-up man. That was where the device came in.

He claimed it was a bomb, but he would have gladly blown them both up there and then. He'd go down if it meant taking out one of those Dark Signer bastards and easing the burden on the Signers. The bluff worked and he got his wish. Revenge.

* * *

**Blackness**

It had been that blasted Whale God that had screwed him over. Steam floated from trails of uncontrollable skids, BlackBird toppled nearby. Yusei's worried voice filled the air, joined by thuds growing louder like some approaching storm. The blurred scene repaired itself when Yusei dropped into view, his eyes flickering with shock and concern.

"Crow! Crow!" he pleaded helplessly.

Behind him, Bommer could be seen seated atop his massive D-Wheel, the smug bastard. He'd get his wish in facing Yusei, he had done his best and it wasn't enough. Because he didn't have one of those Birthmarks the Signers had. Either way, he had failed. Everyone; the kids, the Signers, Yusei.

"Crow!"

"Yusei…" a dry whisper came from him.

Yusei's eyes flickered again, the usually stern face was cracked and revealed the fear and despair welled inside of him. He was devastated, but fate had kicked them down again. He didn't know what was happening, only that Death was closing its arms around him, Yusei shuffled closer, no his knees, and laid his hand onto his naked shoulder.

"Crow, please, don't die…" he choked. Typical, he was always holding back his emotions. Even while his friend was dying before his eyes, he did his best to hold back the pain and stand whole.

"Yusei… you know that's not possible now" he answered, smiling slightly. Even though he was dying, he felt at peace, in a way. He had tried, even though it wasn't good enough, he would be able to find the kids lost in a world of darkness.

"But Crow…" Yusei tried. He fell silent when he found nothing to try and justify his friend living on. "You weren't meant to fight; I didn't want you to get hurt".

"Even if you were around, I would've done it" the dying whispered. "Those bastards took Kiryu away from us; they've taken my kids away. I'm not about to stand by and watch you and Jack die too".

"Crow…" Tears shimmered in Yusei's eyes. Emotions, who knew? "Please… don't die on us… There've been enough people die".

"Forgive me, but… I can't undo what's been done" he sighed. Yusei's eyes widened, his body was greying, crumbling to dust. Time was drawing near, Death's arms slowly closed around him, taunting the distressed survivor. "Just fight for the kids, you've got those twins still, right? Fight to protect them. I don't know what's going to happen to me, but know this – I believe in you, Fudo Yusei".

"Crow…" Yusei choked again. Tears slid down his cheeks – one pale, the other painted yellow. A Marker just like those around his face.

A smile crossed his face. "You know, Yusei, I envy you". Yusei's face twitched in confusion at his honest, breathless words. "You have power and skill, enough to take on all these Dark Signers. You and Jack can still fight for Satellite, but me… I can't do anything. I tried to protect my kids and I failed, but you can fight for whoever's left. You have that Birthmark, but I've nothing. I just wish I could take those bastards on and mean something".

Yusei tearfully shook his head. "Crow, you're not pointless. You're not powerless" he protested gently. "You're a good friend and I know you were strong enough to win against a Dark Signer. Your resolve was powerful, I know you could fight".

"Perhaps, but there's nothing left now" he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry for envying and failing you… Yusei…"

His body dissolved in a matter of seconds, he wasn't aware of it. Once his vision went black, everything faded, Yusei was his last sight. The Tail Signer gazed at the spot where another close friend had perished, tears streaming loosely down his face. Fists clenched tightly in front of him, against the ground where the remnants of a ride scarred the concrete. Tears fell and watered the dead floor, his body shook and his tight throat permitted only one thing to pass through – the name of the dead friend.

"Crow…" he sobbed, no louder than a strained whisper. "Crow…"

* * *

There was nothing around him, nothing but blackness. Was this what Kiryu experienced when he died? Or Bommer? Or the kids? He was floating in the middle of nowhere, without any sign of another soul around him. Maybe different circumstances around his death had taken him somewhere else, maybe he would never find the kids.

"_You possess an emotion far greater than the previous…"_

'_Wha…?'_ Words passed mutely through his mind, as did the opposite. The ominous voice came from nowhere but a hidden origin in the darkness, no mouth to pass through, but entered straight into his head rather than the traditional path through ears. They were both silent outside.

"_Do you not wish to fight for those you lost? Those innocent children sacrificed by blinded men?"_

'_I… I do. But, I'm dead. How can I fight if I'm dead?'_

"_Think about it; you can live again. But your emotions are still raw and untamed, grasp the reigns and smash through the door. Break the fragile bones of Death's arms and unleash the true self locked in your core"._

'_I don't understand'._

"_The Dark Signers, your hatred for them swirls viciously beneath you, but you have to embrace that if you wish to find those lost souls you once rescued. But, those dark ones are not the only ones who betrayed you; even the Signers of the Crimson Dragon have deserted you"._

'_What are you saying?'_

"_The Wings snatched the treasures of the Tail and ran off. The Tail itself then distanced itself from you' _the voice moved on, growing colder and lower. _'They abandoned you, symbols of the Crimson Dragon. They fled the remnants of the past world and left you to rot. And where were they all when the darkness swallowed those you care for? They were in paradise, the new world"._

'_Are you saying I should hate Jack and Yusei? And the other Signers?' _His mind was a mess, but he could feel the emotions moving faster. He _did_ feel hatred and jealousy.

Yusei and Jack had always had Martha care for them; he lived alone on the streets. He would visit them, with offers to stay under the roof, but denied them, because he didn't belong there. He was considerate, because he didn't want to bring more onto the poor woman who cared for kids. Kids who never learned what true loneliness was, unlike him.

He didn't like where this was going, but the burning feelings stretched across him, from his hollow chest to arms and legs, towards his head. The voice was quiet as he focused, but in his head, he could see it all; Jack living as King, Yusei with the twin children in paradise while Satellite was swallowed by black, Bommer laughing as he stood where the children had been at the base of the legendary bridge Daedalus as their short and troubled lives ended.

Jaws clenched and pupils shrank. Madness set in and nestled into his head. There was no face to find, no smirk to test the true motive of the dead voice.

'_Fine. I'll fight again. I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you'll grant me the power to fight a few more people before I leave the world, then I'll trust myself with you'._

"_Wise decision, young spirit" _the voice answered. _"You shall become an undead wandering the place you call home, taking out those who deserve the end granted to you. Now break Death's arms!"_

He stretched his arms and legs, arched his back and looked at what he assumed was above him. A maddened howl erupted and suddenly stopped when he ceased to exist.

* * *

There was feeling after a while, but when had he felt? When did he return to a place to feel? It was like being born over again; black melded with life at some unknown point in time. His eyes opened gradually to find himself in a shadowy chamber towering high above him. The only thing keeping the place from complete darkness was a small trio of flames; candles. He pushed himself from the ground, sitting on the unwelcome concrete and gazed ahead to the source of the orange.

"So you have awakened" a voice came.

He remembered something about a voice, but from what he could recall, it was far different from the one he heard. This one sounded… almost human.

"Where am I? Who are you?" he asked, somewhere between snarling with distrust and helplessly lost in his mind.

The man-figure moved across the large rounded room, his large footwear tapping the ground sharply. Half a minute and he stood as a tower above, the new-born moved his eyes upwards to find the tan-scarred face. Maroon marks crossed his cheeks and his attire of black and red reminded him of Bommer.

"Hang on, you're a Dark Signer" he snarled at the elder. "How did I get here if your bastard of a pal beat me?"

"One simple explanation" the man replied with a smirk. "Just look over yourself".

His eyes widened and cast themselves over his old body; the outfit he had been wearing was dyed black; with the exception of the yellow t-shirt beneath the black shirt ending halfway down his torso. White markings lined the fabrics, wrapping around each part and hiding along the cowl hanging between his shoulders. He leapt to his feet and dashed to a mirror hanging nearby, the man standing over his shoulder in a miniature reflection. Horror crossed his face; his eyes were white, just as any other human's, but the Markers scarring his face had been dyed the colour of blood, his hands patted the cold skin.

"What did you do to me?" he cried out.

"We did nothing, it was yourself and the demon you contracted with" the tanned man answered with a cold smirk.

He turned to face the man, fury blazing in his eyes. "I made a contract to take out the Dark Signers!"

"You also directed your hatred to Jack Atlus and Fudo Yusei; two of the Signers under the Crimson Dragon's banner" the man chuckled.

His eyes widened and bottom jaw dropped – that was true; he _had_ hated Yusei and Jack. Two of his friends, people he grew up with. Why had he been so stupid and naïve? His arms hung by his side, finding a purple shape emblazoned on his right arm, the symbol caught his eye; two straight lines crossed through by another, leading to a rounded head that opened into two twin blobs and a third stretching much further south beneath them, hanging lower than either of the two horizontal straights.

"Each of the Earthbound Gods have been selected from the demons sealed in the Earth of South America; what the modern-day race call the Nazca Lines. Originally, there was a main force, but there are others that, too, fought and perished. They are slowly climbing back up through the tunnels dug by those who the Crimson Dragon dealt with personally" the tanned man explained. "Chacu Challhua, belonging to the former Bommer was one, and Pariacaca followed".

"Huh? I've never heard of Pariacaca before" the younger replied with a cocked eyebrow.

"Perhaps not, but you have met" the tanned man stated. "When you entered darkness, you heard a voice, correct?"

That voice. "Yes".

"That was Pariacaca, a sealed God wishing for the power to fight, but it could not rise alone, it needed a shell to live within, to walk the Earth once more" the man claimed, "When you were killed by Chacu Challhua, Pariacaca saw potential in you and granted mercy on you. It wished to trust you with itself".

"You're saying… no, it can't be!" he blurted in horror. "I can't be a Dark Signer, and I won't have an Earthbound God infect me!"

"It's too late, you've already surrendered yourself to your underworld partner" the man replied with a dark grin.

He dropped down to his knees, hands pressed against the floor, tears flooded his eyes; compared to this, what Yusei and Jack had done was nothing. He had completely betrayed everyone, embraced evil and welcomed it into him, his eyes closed, unable to open anymore and shut out the tears. The two slid down his face and dropped from his cheeks, hitting the ground and perishing.

"I won't fight" he choked. "I won't turn against my friends".

"I thought that you would feel defiant. The Hummingbird herself struggled".

He opened his eyes gradually at the mention of another and sat on his knees, leaning back to meet the man again. "Hummingbird?"

"Yes, a girl attached to Jack Atlus; she died for his sake" he solemnly mentioned. A twinge of hatred pulsed. "She, like the others, struggled with her demise and return as a ghost; a shell for an evil entity, but she pulled herself together and she's gone to find him. Who knows, if she hadn't been chosen, perhaps _you_ would be the Hummingbird, it would certainly suit you".

His eyes sharpened and jaws clenched; perhaps the man was toying with him, perhaps he was lying, but he was telling the truth about the blackness and voices and the presence of another inside of him. A purple shade had flooded into him, entering through his mouth and taking his face, just like Kiryu.

"What about the others?" he asked, standing up opposite the elder and experienced. "What other Earthbound Gods and Nazca Lines are there?"

"You know of Ccapac Apu already, the Giant, who entered the body of your long-dead friend Kiryu. Cusillu, the Monkey, is dead, slain by the youngest of the Signers and her irrational brother. Ccarayhua, the Lizard, lives in Misty Lola and Aslla Piscu, your brother, lives in the confused girl named Carly Nagisa; the one who sacrificed herself for Jack Atlus. I possess the strongest of the main force; Uru the Spider, and I am Rudger Godwin".

"Wait, what?" he gasped. "Godwin? You're related?"

A chuckle came from the Spider. "Yes, he's my younger brother and survivor of Zero Reverse".

His fists tightened and throat throbbed. More deception, more secrets, story of the young Satellite generation's lives. Violence and crime plagued the isle, yet a man in the centre of it all had gotten out without any problem, becoming the most powerful man in the area. He had taken the Zero Reverse that ruined thousands of lives and used it all to his advantage. He was using the deaths and separation of humans for his own selfish needs. Unforgivable.

"And then there's that Whale" he snarled. "Chacu Challhua with that bastard Bommer. Before I do anything, I'm taking him out. If I _do_ have an Earthbound God, it should be strong enough to take out that fucking thing".

"I'm afraid your revenge will go unquenched" Rudger sighed, closing his eyes. "Chacu Challhua is dead".

"What?" he yelled.

"Fudo Yusei took him on after you died, claiming to be fighting for the living you" Rudger mumbled. "He destroyed Chacu Challhua with Stardust, now that accused beast is locked in battle with Ccapac Apu".

"Kiryu…" he whispered solemnly.

"Yes, if he cannot overcome Fudo Yusei and Stardust Dragon, he, too, will perish again".

"But… I thought I'd be able to see him". Another sigh came from him; nothing was working out as he wished. His fist clenched tighter, Yusei had stolen his fight and taken it further, melding it with his own. "Alright, tell me, where are we?"

"Old Momentum; the site of Zero Reverse. The ruins of the past and the scar of Satellite, a constant reminder" Rudger murmured, opening his arms.

"Good, that means we're deep into Satellite, somewhere far more dangerous than the B.A.D Lands" he growled, setting his blazing eyes onto the dead Godwin before him. "If I can't do anything for Kiryu, the least I can do is go and find Carly".

"You're going after her?" Rudger repeated; a smile and confused face mixed together. "I understand; you must feel for her after all she's gone through; she was far more distressed than you when she learned of what hand fate had dealt her. She is no older than you, she needed guidance from Misty".

"I'll guide her further, right past Jack" he snarled, raising a clenched fist. "Even though I hate Dark Signers, I have a friend on this side and a girl who needs help. Even if my orphans are gone, I can take care of someone. And, at the same time, I can get back at Jack for abandoning us in Satellite and riding off to be King. He turned his back on everyone, stole Stardust, Yusei and I grew apart – it's all Jack's fault. When I'm done with him, I'll get Yusei as well".

Rudger smiled, impressed by the transformation of the latest unborn. "There are a few D-Wheels around; we suspected that there would be a few more recruits. Carly has taken one to face Jack Atlus, and Kiryu worked on his after becoming a Dark Signer. You may as well have one, your living D-Wheel is too far away for you to get it and reach Carly before Jack Atlus appears before her".

He nodded and darted out of the room, heading blindly deeper into the underground tower. Seemingly, he had accepted fate's choice and the selection of Pariacaca; he would be the Parrot's avatar, just to fight for the people lost and the traitorous Signer. Rudger continued to smile as he watched, and above the opposite door, the Condor watched as its future strode in.

* * *

Tears flooded from Yusei's eyes; half of Satisfaction was dead. Kiryu had been there, smiling gently and warmly, in his arms, finally accepting that he had been wrong and realised the truth over what he called Last Duel. But that didn't ease the pain; the dragon was supposed to _save_ him, not murder him. But it wasn't the dragon that fought alone, he was responsible, he had the cold blood of two Dark Signers on him, and that of three innocents. The body count was soaring too high. Beyond him, the young twins and Ushio watched from the fracture road fallen into a bridge, they smiled comfortingly, waving to catch his attention, to remind him there were still others alive. He wasn't _just_ a plague or a magnet to misfortune. Death wasn't stalking him, not alone.

The tower slid underground, sealed shortly after noon, and he stood alone with his D-Wheel, no sign that a Duel had taken place outside the scorched earth around; a shadow of the Giant that had snatched Kiryu away. He returned to the makeshift bridge and the young children, they smiled up at him.

"Yusei, you did it. That makes two towers now" Rua commented brightly. "Now it's up to Jack and Aki-neechan. You don't have to fight anyone else".

Yusei nodded solemnly and moved his eyes to the shrinking dome of light. People awoke and gazed around, lost and confused, but alive. Ruka gripped the rusted railings as she leaned forward and opened her mouth.

"Look, they must be the people that were sacrificed to summon Ccapac Apu. Regulus said that the spirits used to summon Cusillu returned to the Spirit World after it died" she commented. She turned to smile at her brother, Yusei, and the formerly-hostile officer. "That must mean if Uru dies, everyone that was lost before will return; like Martha and Rally".

"Rally died duelling me, I don't know if it works the same" Yusei sighed heavily.

Ruka's smile shrank, but survived. Rua stepped ahead of her, usually with an innocent grin of his own, but without it. His face matched Yusei's, a solemn neutrality.

"Yusei… it's okay" he murmured. "I'm sure there'll be a way to get back Rally, Crow and Kiryu".

Yusei's fists shook by his sides, containing what tried to seep through the unhealed wounds. Hatred and sorrow and frustration. Rua frowned at the shaking hands and grabbed it with both hands; Ruka and Ushio uttered a soft sound from their confused mouths and watched without anything more.

"Yusei…" the boy breathed.

"Rua" Yusei answered in the same way.

"I know it's hard, but it'll get better. We'll find a way to get them back; at least we can save Martha, that's important, right?" the boy progressed. "You were torn up about losing her, and there were the kids to think about. She could go and look after them, give them a chance in this messed up world. And if the people caught in the fog get out alive as well, she can take in Crow's kids and look after them until he comes back".

"Rua…" Yusei repeated, his eyes softening. It was unlike him to break down so much and leave himself exposed behind the damaged fortress walls. He dropped down to one knee and gazed into the eyes of the child, one who had faced death head-on and barely made it through the closing jaws. He wrapped his arms around the boy and tucked his chin into the young shoulder. It was still hard to believe they had almost lost him, what would they have done without him? "Thank you".

Ruka and Ushio smiled at the heart-warming sight; of the two united. Yusei had informed the boy of how proud he had been after facing down an Earthbound God and surviving; by his sister's side or not, he had fought for a long time and achieved his goal in proving himself. He stood up again, releasing the boy who watched him with gentle confusion, but understanding. A small spider crawled into Ushio's collar and towards his neck.

"We should track down Rudger then, for Martha and the kids. Maybe everyone in Satellite was taken to feed that beast, that's why it only wanted a few souls when we duelled" he mumbled. "By getting rid of him, we can begin work on reversing the damage he's caused. We can work for those lost in Satellite".

* * *

The engine purred as he flew across the island and towards the tower, the helmet he wore was the same he had died in, making it easier to head out of Old Momentum. After the experience with BlackBird, he had been able to track her D-Wheel and, thus, find the relic she guarded. If he could get to her before Jack, there was a chance to reconcile her, to bond and get to know someone of the chosen. His hopes fell on deaf ears of the bastard fate when the sky lit with the symbol of the Hummingbird, prompting him to frown, far over his shoulder, the Spider had not long faded from the skies; Rudger and Uru were dead, not that he knew that. The D-Wheel leapt over an ascent and flew through the bitter air; Satellite was as unwelcome as ever. It would soon be the stage for his vengeance.

It was strange to feel so free and hate-filled, he had always taught the kids not to let their emotions get the better of them and fly off the rails. He wouldn't let that happen, but there was nothing left now, he'd nothing to lose. It was fine to shrug off his own advice if he was already dead and alone.

It felt like hours passing by before he found himself under the Hummingbird's wings, skidding to a halt over the site of the duel, D-Wheel twisted so its nose pointed towards a descent nearby. Aslla Piscu had been imprisoned in a crimson crystal, freezing it as it faced some four-winged demonic dragon that had appeared on Jack's field; something he had never imagined could come from the deck of the traitor, he had never seen anything like it before. His eyes narrowed at the floating dragon storming between the flames that drew out the Hummingbird into Satellite. There was no sign of Jack or his D-Wheel, puzzled him. Perhaps Carly had beaten him. Yet something didn't feel right.

A stream of flames targeted the crystal. The jewel exploded into a massive twister of flames and wind. The force passed the strange dragon and swallowed it; it looked as though Carly was about to strike down Jack. Yet through it all, the dragon reappeared, casting the flames around it away and passing through the gap, transforming itself into a sphere of flames heading for the girl.

"Carly!" the unborn cried.

A chill played with his spine and the sphere crashed into the ground, engulfing Carly and her D-Wheel. The girl cried out, a demonic voice along with her own, too far away for him to hear. But he could see her fall, tipping over the back of her D-Wheel and onto the unforgiving broken ground. The flames died away and the lit sky fell dark once more, the girl was lost before he could reach her.

Jack's white D-Wheel reappeared and raced towards her, he would taunt her over how he had won in her dying moments. He scowled and gripped the bar tighter, kicking the machine into motion and moving down the slope, he would overcome the smug Jack for her.

Jack had her in his arms, shaking her and shouting, the voices grew quiet and they spoke softly. She wrapped her left arm around his neck and he moved both around her, embracing each other as her body dissolved. Fractured glasses tumbled to the ground and left him alone, he shuddered and stood without them, watching the dark sky while glimmers of purple light floated upwards, carrying with them the lost souls of people. To the spectator, it was just Jack Atlus standing in a victorious pose, ready to point up and claim that some goddess had been watching over him and chosen him to be King for a reason. Shame he couldn't use that truthfully anymore.

Half a minute had passed between Carly passing on and Jack looking in the direction of the approaching D-Wheel, one he didn't recognise. The machine came to a halt and the rider scowled, his eyes hidden beneath the beak of his helmet. Jack gasped and widened his eyes, he knew that helmet.

"Crow?" he breathed loudly.

Crow tipped his head back and revealed his blackened eyes.

"Jack…" he scowled.

"Crow, what are you doing? Why the hell are you dressed like that?" Jack cried out. "I thought you were missing, you _joined_ them?"

"Not intentionally, but yes, I did. What's the matter; don't like?" Crow scoffed, tilting his head to the side.

"Of course I don't. Why did you do it? You know Yusei and I are Signers" Jack spat, glaring at the Dark Signer with eyes pained and furious.

"What I know if that you betrayed me, both of you" Crow snapped.

"You've lost it" Jack growled, straightening his back. "I've got a tower to seal; then we can deal with whatever's gotten into you".

"What's gotten into me is my Earthbound God" Crow barked. "And it won't just let you walk away like you did to that poor girl".

"'Poor girl'?" Jack echoed, lifting his angry brows. "You mean Carly?"

"So you knew her name, huh?" Crow growled.

"Of course I knew; we spent time together" Jack protested.

"Maybe so, but you didn't treasure her, did you?" Crow shouted back. "She sacrificed herself for you and you didn't even care. You just went on your way; it wouldn't be the first time you turned your back on someone trying to help you, after all".

"What the hell are you babbling about? Of course I cared about Carly, I _loved_ her!" Jack snapped, his arms shaking with the shut away fury bubbling over.

"You're not capable of loving anyone but yourself" Crow argued. "I'll beat you for Carly's sake; then I'm going after Yusei".

Jack narrowed his eyes; Crow had mentioned an Earthbound God, he had been possessed and tainted, the past twisted against him to fuel his anger at being left behind. And with the death of Aslla Piscu before his eyes, the demon inside his friend had twisted things to make it seem as though Jack had willing killed Carly, there would be no chance to explain that Carly effectively committed suicide.

"So, Jack Atlus" Crow scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Should we duel now? If you win, then you can seal that tower, I'll be dead and you won't have anyone to stop you. If I win, then you get to die and I avenge Carly and the kids".

Jack scowled again; this wasn't right, Crow wasn't like this. Ever. But the Earthbound demon had bent him into something else, something dead and black; he would have to simply trust fate would guide him onto the same path it had been working on with Carly. Maybe if he wished hard enough to have his friend back, Savior Demon would rise again and strike down the thing in control of him. Crow grin in a darker way than normal, resembling the twisted smirk that Carly had worn once her face became Aslla Piscu's with veins inflating across her cheeks.

"I guess I have no choice, I'll duel to stop you from tainting people I hold dear" the former-King scowled.

Crow smirked and lifted his right arm, the pattern of his Birthmark glowed from beneath his blackened glove and flames grew around them, crossing over the scars of the Hummingbird and flared fiercely. Vengeance would come.

* * *

Ruka shuddered as she sat in the back of Ushio's patrol car, drawing her brother's identical eyes. He leaned towards her, moving his hand over her near wrist.

"Ruka? What's wrong? Is something happening in the Spirit World again?" he asked.

"No, it's something else" she murmured. "I don't know what, but something is wrong".

"How can there be something wrong?" Rua chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "We've only got one tower to go, then everything's done. Misty's the only one left, you're not worried about her Earthbound God, are you?"

Ruka shook her head; Ushio watched it all in the mirror hanging between the front seats. Yusei rode alongside Rua, his eyes set ahead, to the fourth control tower that the world's fate would be decided at. He cast a glance at the four-wheeled vehicle and caught sight of something terrible above it. He came to a halt immediately, the shrieking skid shocking all three riding separately, Ushio slammed on the brakes hard enough for the car to twist and put Rua nearest to Yusei again.

"What are you doing?" Ushio lamented.

"There's another Dark Signer" Yusei commented, his eyes locked onto the purple pattern painted in the sky.

Ruka and Rua both opened their eyes wider and followed Yusei's trail, finding the new image. Terror flooded through them; Bommer wasn't a one-time thing, someone else had been recruited into the dark forces, someone else had been introduced to the war they never participated in before. Another hidden Earthbound God had been unleashed. Ruka frowned, like Chacu Challhua, the symbol didn't resemble any of those she had seen in the vision through dreams, she knew the only demon left was the Lizard and that wasn't its geoglyph hanging over Satellite.

"It's coming from where Jack was duelling" Yusei added, drawing the twin eyes.

"Jack? But he just took down the Hummingbird" Rua exclaimed, jumping up beside the patrol car's door. "He might be tired out".

"I hope he's alright" Ruka murmured, keeping her hands on her lap tightly.

"Yusei, you should find Jack, we'll head towards Izayoi. She and Mikage-san may need some help at this time, getting their tower sealed is priority" Ushio called over his seat.

Yusei answered with a nod and kicked his D-Wheel into action, throwing dust and grains of dirt into the air. The twins watched as he sped away, both anxious about the new geoglyph more than the matter of being separated or the race against time they faced. Sunset was approaching.

* * *

Crow had been first around the corner, claiming the first move for his own. That itself had proved vital; Jack and his Red Demons still trailed him, bringing a wicked grin across his dark face. Above him, a monster vaguely resembling his ace monster sliced through the air with large wings of black. Jack narrowed his eyes at the sight of the beast – Crow's Dark Synchro Monster that he had just summoned, chanting the same ritualistic chime that beckoned all others of its kind to the field. What made no sense was his deck – it was the same as his old deck, perhaps it _was_ that deck, but he played so aggressively.

"You can't dye black any darker, Jack. The Earthbound Gods settled for this deck because it's dome me well in the past" the lost one chuckled, his eyes wide and maddened to match the strange and chilling smile. "After all, they're the only ones that have truly been with me".

"You're blind" Jack scowled, narrowing his eyes sharply. "I'll open your eyes, Crow, no matter what you say!"

A cold chuckle came from the dead, throwing his head backwards and cackling madly, his face resembling the lost Carly's following her imprisonment under the banner of Aslla Piscu. Had the demon inside the body of his friend covered his soul with its veil and wore his face instead? Was the real Crow – dead or otherwise – even aware of what was happening? There wasn't a second voice mixed with the redhead's, it had to be him and him alone. Jack's violet eyes closed solemnly, blindly gliding after the black D-Wheel around the next corner, he trusted his D-Wheel like he trusted Crow, he wouldn't have allow an Earthbound God to taint him so easily, something had gone horribly wrong.

"Red Demons attacks Black Feather – Death Wing **[ATK 2500]**" he declared calmly.

The dragon from Hell pulled its fist back, igniting it with flames from nowhere that he hoped could pierce the darkness and break open the wall between himself and the dead. A wicked grin crossed Crow's face, snatching a card that slid out of the Graveyard slot in his Duel Disk and holding it up beside his bloodied cheek.

"Black Feather – Death Wing's ability; by removing a Black Feather in my Graveyard from play, it survives the battle and lives to see another round".

Jack made no reaction; he had already heard the effect from Crow shortly after the beast was summoned; a twisted version of his standard deck, the cards he had collected across Satellite. But never, had he pulled the stunt of following their shade. Crow smirked as he watched over his shoulder, finding Jack still calm and stoic, it bored him, but at least the victim hadn't lost his fighting spirit after defeating Carly and forced with the reality of fighting a friend. The flaming palm smashed into the tainted creature, a distant moan came from the winged being as it closed its arms, wings and legs around it, a feeble defence in the face of the tremendous force against it.

Nevertheless, it survived, falling back onto Crow's side of the field and fumbling in the air, there was no power in the beast in the face of the Signer Dragon. Crow scowled while the embers flashed alongside him, licking his arms and chest, scowling when he glared back, another bout of damage dealt by the once-proud former King, someone he knew better than most people in the world. Nobody knew the truth, but he knew of the Great Jack Atlus' weaknesses, there was no better Dark Signer to take him down than him.

**JACK - D. CROW  
2500 - LP - 2800  
3 - SPC - 4**

"I summon Double Protector **[DEF 1600]**" the living called, slapping the card horizontally onto the Duel Disk.

The creature appeared on the field, immediately dyed blue and closing the two shields around it, hiding from the battle and the very real threat of the Dark Synchro beast opposite. Crow smirked wickedly, watching over his shoulder at the kneeling warrior beside the clear white D-Wheel rolling behind him, trailing, where it should be.

"You honestly think that Red Demons is going to win this for you?" he chuckled. "That thing doesn't hold a candle to immortality. And why are you so calm anyway, aren't you normally shouting and pointing to the sky, claiming that the Gods are looking down on you?"

"This is no time for fun and games, Crow" Jack mumbled. "I'm fighting to open your eyes, just like I had to for Carly. I don't want you to become a victim of this, like her and Kiryu, let's stop this now and duel normally".

Another fit of laughter rippled up Crow's throat, tugging down on his bottom jaw whilst passing through. "You honestly think this can be stopped now – a Yami no Game _can't_ be stopped until someone wins and someone else dies. In this case – I win and you die".

Jack's eyes narrowed as the words struck him, tearing into his soul; it hurt to hear an old friend say such words, to take harsh feelings so far after a simple betrayal. It crossed his mind what destiny would have been ahead had he not turned on the remnants of Satisfaction and fled Satellite like a coward, unable to cope with the bitter reality that everyone trapped faced everyday. His eyes moved to his hand, in the centre of the hand, Change Destiny poked out; the very card that had proved that Carly was inside whilst Aslla Piscu wore her skin. He tucked his head between his shoulders, leaning towards it, maybe he could find the true Crow beneath the layers of tainted spirit and wicked intent. He removed the card from his hand, closing his eyes and sliding it into the under layer of the Duel Disk, Carly's smiling face atop the tower in Neo-Domino flashed in his mind.

"Turn end".

Crow grinned and drew, beginning his next turn. A blip came from both monitors, adding an additional Speed Counter onto the existing collections. The card from the deck meant nothing to him, however, and hung in his hand while he pointed to the grim beast hovering over him, still scarred from the collision with Red Demons; where fire had scorched shadows, opening a hole for light to shine though. He would seal that hole forever.

"The Crow you knew is dead" he snapped. "Death Wing, attack Double Protector". Jack said nothing, but watched sternly, Crow smirked again, opening the lip curtains and showing his white fangs. "Did I forget to mention that Death Wing also inflicts Piercing Damage when it attacks a defensive monster?"

"What?" Jack finally gasped, his jaws falling apart.

The dead creature lunged forward, presenting its left fist ahead and smashing into the shield, cracking it heavily. The defender moaned and lowered his arms, exhausted after the blow. Gusts flowed past it in the moment of weakness, battering Jack and his Wheel of Fortune, both rocking wildly as they battled to stay upright. A yell cam from Jack's mouth, his eyes closed and hands tight, his life was in the hands of the D-Wheel once more, blindly speeding down a large stretch in the geoglyph, away from the head of the fiery symbol.

**JACK - D. CROW  
1600 - LP - 2800  
3 - SPC - 5**

The new card fell into Crow's forgotten hand and another rose, sliding beneath the surface and buried in flashing momentum surging through the machine.

"My turn's over, have fun with yours" the unborn hissed with a grin.

Jack took a moment to recover from the storm that had failed to knock him into the flames of Hell either side. His eyes were again locked onto Crow while he drew from his deck, holding the mystery card alone in his right glove, the fact that Crow had turned on them to such an extreme degree still haunted him, he still struggled to accept that matter.

Dust fell from the overhanging face that Crow had watched the ending of Carly's duel with him while the two approached, a blur of blood shot off and fell between the flaming borders, bouncing wildly against the ground and coming to an uncontrolled halt. Both charging D-Wheel turned and skidded before a crash could ensnare them. The rider of the blood machine rose, strands of black poking out either side of his helmet.

"Jack!" he called. He froze and gazed in horror, the coldest of chills gripping him when his eyes met the sight of the black soul in front of him. "C- Crow?"

"Heh, you guys love making my job easy for me" Crow chuckled.

"Yusei, get out of here" Jack snapped, leaning forward to the third party.

Yusei paid no attention, but stared still at Crow, eyes flickering with sorrow and disbelief, he wanted to cry and scream at the enemy, but he couldn't bring himself to break down; not in front of Jack, not in front of Crow.

"Why are you a Dark Signer?" he asked desperately.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Yusei?" Crow asked, tilting his head. "I gave you that answer once before.

Yusei's eyes shot open wider; he remembered that very cause, while he had been there with Bommer over his shoulder, standing like a demon ready to claim his friend and twist him into something new. His face softened when he came back to the present, fast-forwarding the stressful duels and brief admittance into Hell, left without any real evidence he wasn't still there.

"You became a Dark Signer because you were jealous you weren't chosen by the Crimson Dragon?" he asked gently.

"Moron" Crow spat, flicking his head to the side. "You both had power to change things; we always wanted Daedalus to be built and you guys ran off to Neo-Domino with your new Birthmarks, playing your little legends game while the rest of us were left to rot. Even when you were here, you may as well have been on an entirely new planet. You had power and you didn't give two shits about he rest of us; once you found out you had some grand destiny, we became a mere memory and you came back the instant we were all gone. I lost everything in that fog, but you were all too busy worrying about yourselves and ran off to somewhere safe".

"It's not like that" Yusei pleaded.

"Yeah, I'm going to believe you" Crow scoffed, grinning smugly. "Tell me Yusei, did Jack come back after you were left at Death's door on the ground?"

Yusei tried to reply, but the words didn't come. Rally, Nerve, Taka, Blitz, Saiga and Crow had all been proven to play their part in saving his life, but there had been nothing of Jack. But he had been there, in that helicopter spinning around the geoglyph and watching. There had been nothing afterwards; he was busy in Neo-Domino, waiting for the two Dark Signers on the other side to rise.

"I wanted to, but Mikage and the pilot decided that heading back to Neo-Domino was safer, what could I do? Jump out?" Jack barked.

"You may as well have done" Crow spat. "As for you, Yusei, had I know what you guys were going to do, I would have never saved you. I would have stood there and watch you bleed to death".

Ordinarily, Yusei would glare calmly at the one who uttered the bitter words, but this was a long-time friend, his eyes widened and brow furrowed when they impacted on him. Guilt swelled inside of him, this was just more to pile onto the doubt and regret he held in Old Momentum, pushed down further by a requirement to fight, no-one had quenched his pain, but he brought more to others. Crow looked back to Jack, who watched from the outside, gritting his teeth just to keep himself from climbing out and throttling the tainted one.

"Let's just get on with the duel, huh?" he called. "I'll deal with Yusei once I've taken you down. Watching you die will probably be the last straw for him anyway".

"We'll duel" Jack scowled. "But I won't die".

Crow smirked and revved the engine of his D-Wheel and shot around Yusei. The outside party watched the darkened rider speed ahead, Jack rolled towards him, bringing him back.

"I don't know what's gotten into him, but Carly had the same attitude. It's not him talking, it's the Earthbound God inside of him" he murmured.

Yusei nodded and followed the white D-Wheel after its enemy. A large gap had opened between the two opponents, but Jack spoke like they were still alongside each other.

"I activate Speed Spell – Reverse Synchro" the blonde declared, holding up the new card. "When I have 4 or more Speed Counters, this returns a monster to my hand in exchange for returning a Synchro Monster from the field and summoning the monsters used to summon it".

Crow hissed, glaring back to find his Death Wing shivering as the effect reached it. Its body fell to become a sphere of momentum, colours crashing into each other while swimming together in a small space. One became two and Fane the Steel Chain and Dark Tuner – Neera the Tornado appeared. The former resembled a cross between foul and a ninja, the latter a twisted feathered being with steel feathers in the place of fingers, feet tucked up against its underbelly, every feather across its body dyed in the darkest shade.

"A Level -9 Dark Tuner?" Yusei muttered to himself.

"Crow, I'd rather not hurt you, but if casting you back to Hell is the only way to stop this madness, then I'll do what must be done" Jack declared. "I can only hope you forgive me like Carly".

A scowl came from the unborn, shrugging off any chance that a Dark Signer could forgive a Signer, that Carly would forgive Jack after the blast that wiped her out. The dragon above Jack and Yusei's heads growled warmly, its yellow eyes glinting while he watched back at the two accursed living.

"Red Demons; destroy Neera the Tornado and drive that Earthbound God out of Crow!" Jack yelled, pointing at the powerless Tuner.

The dragon lunged forward, its fist alight with flames, the brutal force that had dealt damage once. Crow tapered his eyes and pressed down onto the key and lifted the face-down card laid during his previous turn, Yusei watched the battle with a lump in his throat; either way, one of his friends would perish.

"Trap Card – Shadow Guard; this reduces the Battle Damage from Red Demons' attack by half" he snapped. "I'm still in this Jack; don't think I'm going to let you win".

The fist smashed through the Tuner and lit the ground. Purple and orange met and battled; spitting, licking and hissing. The red force stormed to Crow, scorching both himself and the D-Wheel, a yell erupted from his throat.

Yusei leaned forward again, sucking a deep breath when the previous was knocked from him. "Crow!"

**JACK - D. CROW  
1600 - LP - 1300  
4 - SPC - 5**

The black D-Wheel wobbled, but not enough to throw the rider anywhere, a welcome result after the incidents that had already taken place across the night and morning. The machine moaned and Crow opened his eyes slightly, throwing himself around the corner and down the next straight path.

"Now that you're done playing, it's my turn" Crow snapped, drawing from his deck. An Earthbound God hung; his smile grew colder and darker. "I'll start by Special Summoning Black Lance Blast **[ATK 1700]** because there's another Black Feather still on the field" he bellowed. The lancer being struck its usual pose, fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of the spiralling weapon. Crow's eyes lit purple once he picked up the Earthbound God from his hand, lifting it above his head and chanting.

"_Ima ni fukatsu gakko no wasureru kami-sama, fuinsareta tobira ni kowashite, soshite, meikyu kara agare! Kourin Seyo! Jibakushin Paraiakakka!_ **[ATK 3000]**" **[1]**

The two monsters shrank into identical orbs, floating playfully in the air before combining, melding into one – the Earthbound demon's throbbing heart. No souls reformed into purple lights to be sucked into the void, instead, the heart pounded alone and vanished in a wide pillar of light, feasting on those yet to be released from the black fog. From the light, the black beast hung, vaguely resembling Aslla Piscu with its core structure, the Parrot Earthbound God hovering in the cold air, white markings stretching across it that matched those on Crow's garments.

"Jack, be careful" Yusei cried out.

"No need to worry, Yusei, I already have his death mapped out" Crow chuckled, holding up another card. "I activate my Speed Spell – Half Seize".

"I used that card against Carly" Jack breathed.

"Then you're aware what's coming – Red Demons' attack gets halved" Crow bellowed, opening his hand in the direction of the dragon.

An aura of white glowed around the dragon, drawing a weak growl from the beast while its weakened jaws **[ATK 1500]**. With its strength depleted, Crow grinned beamed teasingly once more, watching over his shoulder with the purple in his eyes fading, given to his divine beast.

"Face It Jack, it's over, you can't do anything anymore. You've fallen too far from your false grace" he chuckled. "Earthbound God Pariacaca, attack Red Demons and erase any hope for the Crimson Dragon!"

"He's not attack Jack directly?" Yusei gasped.

'_Then Change Destiny is…'_ Jack thought as he glared up at the parasite.

The airborne deity flapped its wings, diving at stripped dragon, Yusei leaned forward, mouth open and eyes fixed on the target. Jack grit his teeth and watched as the Parrot's beak met with the neck of Red Demons, clamping brutally on its neck and launching it across the geoglyph. A pained howl came from the dragon before it exploded into golden shards, eliminated with ease. A wave of terrible pain surged through Jack, bringing another yell out of him.

**JACK - D. CROW  
100 - LP - 1300  
4 - SPC - 6**

"Jack!"

"I'm fine" the blonde snarled, tensing the muscles in his arms.

The trio rounded another straight corner, entering another of the rectangular stakes through the Parrot geoglyph. Crow was still ahead, Jack's eyes upon him. Yusei rolled faster, moving alongside Jack, also watching the boy ahead.

"Crow, please stop this" he pleaded again.

"Forget it, you know that this all ends now; I'll be the sole survivor of Team Satisfaction" Crow hollered back. "I know how much Jack loves that dragon, taking it out was just a little bit on fun on my part; next turn, I'm getting him directly".

"Not like this, he won't be" Jack scowled.

"Crow, listen to me. Uru absorbed those taken in the fog; the kids are back" Yusei continued regardless. "I promise you, Crow, there's no need to fight now".

"Are you blind?" Crow snorted. "I'm a Dark Signer now; I may not like it, but I'm one. I'm going to take you guys down, even if I have to do it by myself".

"You're an idiot" Jack snapped. Yusei was about to utter his name when he pushed on to stop him. "You hate the Dark Signers, yet you joined them, you had one friend on their side and two on this. You were an idiot to choose them over us, but I can see what happened; you were lost somewhere between us leaving and coming back, we never knew what was happening, but we would have come earlier had we known. Crow, you and I rarely see eye-to-eye, especially now, but I promise you, I'll get you back from the darkness, even if it means having to defeat you; I lost Carly, maybe I'll lose you, but that's better than letting that thing eat you from the inside out".

Behind him, Yusei exhaled, seizing the moment snatched from him. "Jack…"

"You're not thinking straight, you saw what Earthbound Gods to do people; think of Kiryu, he was blinded. I don't know what kind of trick they pulled on you, or what kind of revenge they stirred inside of you, but we're friends. You, me, Yusei, we're still friends. Kiryu is gone, he's still there with us; in our hearts and in the past, but we have to move on. Yes, I made a huge mistake by running away from Satellite, but that very move got the wheel of fate turning; without it, we'd all be standing around with nothing for us. Crow, you may be a Dark Signer and my opponent, but before all that, you're my friend, and I want to save you. I want the old Crow back".

On the right arm of both Signers, their respective Birthmarks began to glow stronger, Jack's emotions were building up; it hadn't been long since the Crimson Dragon granted him with the power to stop Carly, his emotions were still raw, unleashed. Crow shook his head, keeping his eyes closed tightly as he did so; Pariacaca and the Black Feathers were on his side; they were lying, they had to be.

"Crow, if you keep us from sealing the Hummingbird tower, then the world will be destroyed; the kids are back, even as a Dark Signer, they look up to you. Do you really want to slay them again when the Underworld King rises?" Yusei called.

"Underworld King?" Jack echoed, casting his eyes in the Tail Signer's direction.

"If you don't stop now, if you don't break free of that Earthbound God, you'll be lost. And they'll pay the price. Fight it for them; would they want you to be like this now?" Yusei continued, stretching his neck as his voice grew stronger.

Flames waves, amidst a cold night. Their smiling faces were around, bright and loving, hopeful. They were happy, even though Satellite was a wasteland, it was their lives, their homes, and he was their protector. He had failed them once, but… what if the Signer was right? What if they were alive?

"_Crow-niichan!"_

The younger girl was there before him, arms behind her back, smiling as innocently as always. Her brothers and sister appeared around her, the pet dog seated beside her. They _did_ exist, Crow's eyes widened when their smiles bore into him, stripping away the darkness and fighting through to his damaged heart.

"_We're waiting for you, Crow-niichan. We're waiting at home"._

"_Bring us cards, Crow-niichan. You're the best"._

"_You're the best; we love you"._

The black D-Wheel slowed; the living dead's face solemn with missing eyes. Jack accelerated cautiously, moving ahead and beside the slowing rider. It felt odd to see him so calm, but at the same time, it was a relief, he looked peaceful. No longer driven mad by the devil.

"Crow?" he muttered.

"Pariacaca's going to infect me, I know it" he mumbled. "Finish me before he does so, I don't want the kids to see me like that".

The composed voice brought hope to Yusei, speeding after the pair. Jack closed his eyes and focused on the past; fighting in Satellite, duelling for ground, their long childhood days of hanging out together, doing nothing more than scavenging for cards and the lucky meals of cup ramen they all shared. Carly flashed in his mind; he wanted to save his friend just as he had saved her.

Outside the black, his Birthmark glowed brighter, and in an instant, Yusei's vanished from his arm. He was well aware what was coming having experienced it himself. The full version of the Birthmark, united five pieces connected to the body, including the elusive Head, shone through Jack's Riding Suit and ignited the top card of his deck, burning a brilliant gold.

"It's my turn!" Jack yelled, opening his eyes and ripping the card from the rest.

Purple and black gathered around Crow, droning laughter emitting from it, Crow struggled against the madness, closing his eyes to avoid watching it creep closer with its misshapen hands. His jaws clenched, he was going to fight; the darkness, the evil, everything. He was in two pieces; one of fragile assurance that the kids were waiting for him happily with the campfire lit for the chilled night coming, the other stronger in mind, determined to take out those who had betrayed him, the servants of the Crimson Dragon, all of which had abandoned him and the children at such a crucial time. The hairs across his arms stood on end, pointed and shuddering, the strain was immense, threatening to tear him apart further.

"Crow!"

"Just do it" he growled.

Jack nodded subtly, moving one card from his hand to the field. "I activate Speed Spell – Synchro Rebirth; by surrendering 4 Speed Counters, this revives a Synchro Monster from the Graveyard".

A pillar of fire erupted from nowhere, unleashing the Red Demons taken out by the Earthbound God with a mighty roar to match its newly-restored strength. The sacrifice had put Jack down to one Speed Counter against Crow's seven. Another card stood in his hand.

"Now I summon Battle Fader **[ATK 0]**" the blonde living continued, holding up the monster card that had saved him from a direct attack launched by Aslla Piscu, he knew what he had to do, there was no time left, no other options. "Speed Spell – Forbidden Power. This lets me summon another monster, but both summoned this turn will be destroyed in the End Phase if I have less than 3 Speed Counters".

His eyes fell shut peacefully.

'_Carly, sorry I couldn't use our card to help him'_.

And snapped open with a new flare, swinging the golden card from his hand and onto the Duel Disk.

"Savior Dragon! **[ATK 0]**"

"_That beast, it killed Aslla Piscu and Ccapac Apu" _the essence around Crow hissed.

It changed around, spiralling around the struggling black-clad rider. He cried out in sheer anguish when his body felt like it had been set alight, the demon taking its chance to dive down his throat and stew inside of his body, literally taking control.

"_Crow!_" Yusei and Jack cried together.

The top jaw fell and for a few seconds, he was quiet, until he lifted his head again. Like Carly, his eyes were shining purple and veins slowly bulged across his face, a demonic grin joined them once the coup was complete.

"Bastard! Release Crow now!"

"_I think not, cursed of the Wings"_ the God-possessed corpse uttered, two voices melded into one.

"Crow, fight it. Think of the kids" Yusei pleaded, moving as fast as he could to reach the back of the new D-Wheel. "You said yourself you don't want them to see you like this, please".

Pariacaca twisted Crow's neck, showing Yusei the extent of his remodelling. _"Curse of the Tail, he exists no more. I know what's coming, but even if I die, without me, his body fails and he dies once more, he'll come back to Hell with me"._

Terror flickered across Yusei's face; he knew full well that was the case, but to lose someone like Crow – caring and selfless, stealing for the sake of others – to those conditions was unbearable. Fighting back, Crow shook, swimming against the rough waves of the storm to reach land and take control once more. He could hear everything, feel nothing, but there was a flame burning inside of him; light and hope and warmth. A reason to go on.

"I'm tuning my Level 8 Red Demons, Level 1 Battle Fader and Level 1 Savior Dragon!" Jack hollered on the outside. "_Kenmasareshi kokou no hikari! Shin no hasha tonarite daichi wo terasu! Hikari kagayake!" _**[2]**

Savior Dragon exploded into a size much larger than Red Demons, swallowing it and the lone star from Battle Fader, a stream of light shot through it, lining the nine stars inside of it, expanding. Jack's Wheel of Fortune leapt up from the ground, entering the blinding light and vanishing. The very beast that had taken down Aslla Piscu soared free of the flames, stunning Yusei.

"_Shinkuro Shoukan! Ooinaru Tamashii, __**Seviaa Demon Doragon**__!_ **[ATK 4000]**" **[2]**

Pariacaca scowled, glaring up at the floating beast. _"That's what killed my brother; I'll get revenge for each and every Earthbound God that's fallen!"_

"Jack" Yusei called, setting his eyes up on Savior Demon. "Ccarayhua and Pariacaca are the only Earthbound Gods left; Aki's on her way to stop Misty, other than that, this is the only tower we can deal with right now".

"I understand" Jack called through the dragon, watching his racing friend through the aura of flames surrounding him. "Then I must take out this bastard and give Crow a chance. Forgive me".

Pariacaca scowled, narrowing Crow's eyes slightly, veins throbbing across his face fizzled with boiling blood pulsing through them. Deeper in the black, Crow smiled at the sounds of Jack's spirit shining through, remembering how the fate of the world was far more important than one lost soul. He smiled at what he assumed was above him.

"_Jack, do it. Show him why you were King once"_ he called through curved lips shaped into a smile. For some reason, everything felt lighter, _he_ felt lighter. Freedom and salvation, they were coming to sweep him away from Earth, and the truth had pulled open the door.

"Savior Demon Dragon can negate an opponent's monster's effect and gain its attack points until the end of the turn" Jack called. "My target is Earthbound God Pariacaca! _Power Gain!_"

A stream of blazing crimson and white flowed out of Savior Demon's open jaws. Pariacaca vanished in the blast and appeared, its immortal body imprisoned in a crystal jewel, just like that it had already seen. His avatar twitched, widening his purple eyes when the devil dragon floated between himself and his original body **[ATK 7000]**.

"7000 attack points?" he hissed. "You bastard…"

"With this strike, you'll be purged from Crow and he can find the true path he's meant to take" Jack barked from his dragon, his eyes set on Crow with Yusei in the corner of his focus. The black-haired Signer watched anxiously, knowing there was no alternative, but reluctant to allow it to happen.

Inside, Crow smiled and flashed a thumbs-up to Jack, something that flashed in the blonde's mind, his true voice reached through; their bond as strong as he had hoped.

"_Go Jack, I'll find Carly. Protect this world so those kids can grow up"._

Jack hesitated for a moment; with his Savior Demon out against Carly, he had a back-up to die with her, so she wouldn't face the end alone. But there wasn't any plan to spare Crow moving alone, maybe because _he_ would be the one to accompany Carly. But it still hurt to have to strike down someone he cared deeply about.

"Crow, go on to find wherever it is you're destined to be!" Jack yelled, feeling his heart ache in his chest. "_Ultimate Power Force!"_

The four-winged dragon shot forward, covered in the blaze stolen from the opposite deity, frozen and powerless. Pariacaca yelled out through Crow, bracing himself for the inevitable end. Yusei tightened his throat, struggling to watch as the dragon crashed into the crystal and smashed through, lighting the trapped beast and setting off the chain reaction. The Earthbound God flailed in slow motion as it fought to break free, the shards around it exploded, ripping it apart. Pariacaca yelled, its black and purple soul steaming from Crow, but retaining the same purple glow in his eyes as he looked to the heavens with the widest he could pull them.

The D-Wheel faltered and struggled to keep itself up, tipping over and hitting the ground, the right side sliding against the unforgiving earth. Yusei immediately slowed his D-Wheel, coming to a steady halt close to the fallen machine and clambering out, throwing his helmet off and dashing towards the fallen corpse.

"Crow!"

Savior Demon lowered itself, releasing Jack and soaring on, dissolving in the tainted air. The full Birthmark vanished from Jack's back, but his attention was elsewhere, following Yusei in jumping out of his D-Wheel and removing his helmet. By the time he reached the pair, Yusei was on his knees, turning Crow over so the back of his head rested on his thighs.

"Crow, can you hear me?" he strained to cry without leaking tears. "Crow!"

The defeated opened his eyes slowly, halfway, enough to reveal that the evil had been purged from his body. A small smile joined the scratched and bloodied face.

"Jack… thank you" he whispered hoarsely.

"Crow… you don't think you're going to die peacefully now, do you?" Jack muttered.

"Crow" Yusei choked. "Please… don't die on us…".

"Forgive me, but… I can't undo what's been done" Crow sighed. He gave another weak smile. "I didn't mean what I said; that demon twisted everything and I bought his lies. I should've known better".

Yusei shook his head. "No, you couldn't have known any more than another other person. Don't blame yourself".

"Blame me" Jack interjected, drawing the eyes of his friends. "It's like you said; my leaving Satellite sparked this all and set fate in motion. If I had stayed, then none of this would have happened".

"Nah" Crow chuckled dryly. "It would have happened, only differently".

Jack grabbed Crow's right hand with both of his own, the Wings and Parrot Birthmarks faded into simple markings. "Crow, I'm sorry for everything. Even now, you keep smiling for the sake of others while I've only thought about myself. That's what Carly taught me, she inspired me that there was still something for me in this world even though I wasn't King. Even if everyone finds out I'm from Satellite, I don't care. She protected me when rumours were rife, but I failed to protect her. She meant the world to me, just like you and Yusei and the others".

"So you _did_ care about her" Crow chortled. "I'll be sure to tell her that".

"You'll find her?" Jack gasped.

"I'm sure I will" Crow replied with the same cocky grin that made him a well-known face across much of Satellite's populated areas. "Listen, go and seal the tower before it's too late, focus on saving the world. You've got a life, Jack, don't waste it".

Immediately, the blonde was aware what his dying friend meant; he didn't want Jack's life to be put on the line again, not to sacrifice it for the sake of another, to try and die embracing someone he loved so she wouldn't die alone. Crow turned his neck, looking back up at Yusei, whose eyes were filling with tears despite his battered defences at their strongest.

"Yusei, if we aren't revived by the Earthbound Gods dying, I want you to look after my kids" he breathed. "You and Martha, I can trust you to bring them up right. They're _my_ world, but I don't want them to suffer because I'm not there to watch over them anymore. Besides, you and Jack came out alright".

"Crow… you have to be revived" Yusei choked, clenching his right fist beneath the wild strands of orange hair.

"We'll see" Crow answered.

His body slowly greyed; the end of his endurance without Pariacaca to hold him together anymore. Yusei's eyes widened slightly and then narrowed, pushing the tears closer to the edge and gripping Crow's other hand with his own. The three were united, holding onto each other as Crow's body began to dissolve.

"Finish Daedalus, light up this world".

Crow's vision faded from the two faces to black, peacefully sleeping as fate did what it had to with his body. Once he vanished completely, Yusei clenched his fists, setting the tears free to stream down his face; his fists hit the cold, dead ground. It wasn't Jack Atlus' place to cry while he watched him, but he lifted his hand and laid it on Yusei's back. Crow trusted them; once they mourned, they would go to seal the tower and fulfil his wishes.

* * *

**[1]** _"Forgotten God of the Past, restored to this world, break open bound gates and rise from Beyond. Advent, Earthbound God Pariacaca!"_

**[2]** _"A lone single polished light, become the true high-ruler and illuminate the Earth! Shine your light! Synchro Summon! The great soul, Savior Demon Dragon!"_


End file.
